2006 Jetta TDi DMF DSG replacement - clunk rattle

I live in Northern Illinois, Lake County and I here a rattle coming from the transmission when it is in park. It is not constant but I bought the car with a new turbo and then had a new timing belt kit done. The clunk or rattle is not constant but was more noticeable when I was under the car flushing out the coolant. The techs put in green antifreeze when they put in the new water pump and timing kit. From what I have read on hear I feel more comfortable changing the dmf before driving to Oregon this summer. Does anyone know of a shop or side job mechanic that would like to do this job. I want it done right and unfortunately I have not had good luck with mechanics around here. Anyone that has had this done in the chicago or milwaukee area?
Thanks

Jason TDI, a member here, is in Madison, WI.

ecaddy said:

I live in Northern Illinois, Lake County and I here a rattle coming from the transmission when it is in park. It is not constant but I bought the car with a new turbo and then had a new timing belt kit done. The clunk or rattle is not constant but was more noticeable when I was under the car flushing out the coolant. The techs put in green antifreeze when they put in the new water pump and timing kit. From what I have read on hear I feel more comfortable changing the dmf before driving to Oregon this summer. Does anyone know of a shop or side job mechanic that would like to do this job. I want it done right and unfortunately I have not had good luck with mechanics around here. Anyone that has had this done in the chicago or milwaukee area?
Thanks

Click to expand...

The green stuff is the wrong stuff and is not compatible with the proper G-12 or G12+ coolant that was the factory fill. What the green stuff will do is when it mixes with what was left in the system will cause the coolant to turn to brown sludge.

You need to fill run and drain the system several times until all that is left in the system is straight water. Then put straight g-12 in equal to 1/2 the system capacity and fill the rest of the way with plain water.

It makes you wonder that if they didn't even use the correct coolant, what else did they do wrong?

I'm glad I requested all of the old parts. I will do a search for the wisconsin guy to see if he wants to do the DMF on the DSG. Any idea how much people charge for the DMF change out and the DSG filter and fluid service? Want to know if I am over paying or not.
Thanks,

It runs about $500

Wow- sure wish I would have waited for you!

Hi Jason,
I went on your website to get your info so I could bring my car to you for the dmf swap but when I saw that you were back up for the next month or so I decided to try it myself. I have done tons of work on American cars, even swapping engines and transmissions so I figured I should be able to do it. Well that was a naive assumption.

I first did the dsg service since I just bought the car and didn't know what service was done. After that I proceeded to remove the transmission, removed the old dmf, cleaned everything up, and installed the new dmf. I then, after taking all day today(the second day of this job), slowly got the transmission back in. Now for the problem.

I can not get the transmission to seat properly onto the engine. I have loosened everything several time and tried re-tightening in different methods, putting the jacks in different locations and pitches, ect...
But for the life of me I can't get it to go together that last 1/4 inch. I thought it might be the gears not lining up properly so I kept pulling the transmission back until I could take a screw driver in the starter hole and spin the flywheel and then slowly tighten everything back up. Is there a trick to getting this back together right or should it just slide back together? I can tighten one side but then I can't tighten the opposite side, I try doing it all at the same rate but it still comes down to one side being like an 1/8" away and the opposite side 1/4" away and then nothing. If I try and force it stuff will crack.

If you weren't backed up I would just have the car towed to you so you could finish everything up, shouldn't take more than an hour for someone who's knows these cars. What should I try next? DO you think the flywheel or gears are screwed up some how? I took a couple of pictures and will attach them. Any help would be appreciated. Next time I will wait until you are available and just rent a car or something, this has been a nightmare!

Some have a pilot bearing and that is where the hang up is. You need to back it off and rotate the transmission abound a bit and it should drop on. If not you can turn the crank pulley bolt CLOCKWISE only a smidge to see if it drops in. It's a tough job and I applauder you for taking it on. That transmission is NOT light.

Good luck. Just keep trying. You might have to back it a ways out to get it to seat.

THanks

I will go try that now. If I can't get it, how backed up are you time wise?

Anyone know what torque I should tighten these subframe bolts too? They are all new but finding the values are hard.

Don't have them here but they are in the Bentley manual. Sorry couldn't take your call way too much going on. My neighbor (TDR North) could do it as well if you can't get it. He's done 7-8 of them.

Hi Jason,
I got everything put back together. 3 day project, it would have been worth waiting but I am such a perfectionist about everything that I really wanted to try it myself so I could make sure no little detail or torque measurement was overlooked.
If you get the time please listen to the before and after videos. The original 120k dmf had the ocasional clunk or rattle so after reading everything on these boards I ordered the new dmf from dieselgeeks.com and put it in.
Now the new dmf is in it is 10 times louder than the old one. It doesn't have the rattle or clunk but a constant wine in park. It seems that both had issues when in park. Have you ever installed the dmf's from dieselgeeks.com? Is there a break in period? I measured the play in both before installing.
The original with 120k had 1/2" in play or movement:
http://i953.photobucket.com/albums/ae12/ecaddy/original120kdmf.jpg

The new one from dieselgeeks.com had 5/8" in play or movement:
http://i953.photobucket.com/albums/ae12/ecaddy/Dieselgeeksnewdmffiveeightsplay1.jpg

Here is the before and after sounds, hopefully it just needs to be broke in, if not I will get a new one but I'm not putting it in again, that was a knightmare.
Original dmf with ocasional rattle in park:
http://youtu.be/jPV91Vrgr2Y

Here is the new dmf with loud noise in park but very quiet when engaged:
http://youtu.be/P7xrR_LTrtY

What do you think? Should I drive it and see what happens or should I call dieselgeeks and get a new one?
Thanks,
Eric

I'm wondering if the input shaft didn't get jacked up on installation? Or maybe the clutch pack. It could also be that the pilot bearing has an issue and is presenting the whine, as it alternates back and forth.

I certainly wouldn't drive it. You probably should get it to Jason.

Got me wondering...I didn't experience anything like this, when I replaced my DMF 50k miles ago.

Tony

One never knows. I looked at one other Jetta before I bought this one, it was at Hall vw in Wisconsin. It had the same noise but while it was driving. They just put a new transmission in that car and they said it was fine and they wouldn't do anything about it. They supposedly called VW because they were the ones that paid for the transmission.